3 examples of potential 76ers blockbuster trades

Potential 76ers blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard

It’s hard to gauge Damian Lillard’s hypothetical trade value, but the Blazers are four games below .500 in the cutthroat Western Conference. At some point, we’ll reach an inflection point. The 32-year-old point guard is under contract through the 2026-27 season; can the Blazers reasonably expect to build a genuine contender around Lillard in that timeframe?

Lillard’s age, contract, and undeniable talent form a potent concoction in the trade machine. The Sixers have already dealt most of their draft capital, but not all of it. Lillard is still a genuine All-NBA talent, but with his injury history, how long can he reasonably be expected to stay at that level? And, when he does start to decline, how far south does it go, and how quickly?

This is not the first time Tyrese Maxey has been involved in hypothetical Lillard trades. Now, however, Maxey has cemented his status as a borderline All-Star in his own right. The Sixers have one of the most exciting young playmakers in the league — are the willing to move him for the borderline Hall of Famer who might ultimately shorten their title window?

Whether Sixer fans agree with this hypothetical or not is mostly immaterial (most of you will be vehemently against it, I’m sure). But players like Lillard demand hefty price tags, even at his age. We saw it with Harden not long ago. The Sixers will have to give something to get something, and frankly, outside of Harris and Maxey there’s not much else to give.

Maxey is probably the more natural complement to Embiid and Harden, but let’s state it plainly and clear up any lingering doubt: Lillard is miles ahead of Maxey right now. As great as Maxey is, odds are he will never reach Lillard’s uniquely high level of productivity. So, if the Sixers have a chance to add Lillard to the Embiid-Harden core, it’s the kind of trade that’s at least worthy of consideration.